The Standardisation Law has been approved by the Attorney General’s Office and will be forwarded to the national assembly, officials said.
The law had already been approved on July 7 and relevant government departments are preparing a final draft, said Dr Soe Moe Khaing, head of the quality assurance unit of Myanmar Scientific and Technological Research Department (MSTRD).
After the law has been enacted, by-laws and regulations will be drawn with the help of expert organisations. The MSTRD will form a National Standardisation Committee, which will have sub-committees under its management that will set standards tailored to Myanmar’s needs.
Nineteen technical sub-committees including environmental conservation, construction industry, agricultural products will be formed to establish national standards. The 19 sub-committees have proposed 67 standards.
“Our country doesn’t have any standards right now. When we have set specific quality standards we can better control the inflow of inferior products,” Dr Soe Moe Khine told a forum.
“Our exports won’t have to be inferior. We can expedite trade by reducing mistakes, time and losses of money and resources. We can improve the quality of products and reach markets more quickly,” he added.
In addition to relevant departments, experts and interested individuals can participate in setting standards by suggesting standardisation along with explanation of its purpose and impact to MSTRD, Dr Soe Moe Khaing said.
The MSTRD is a correspondence member of International Organization for Standardization (ISO) as well as an affiliate member of International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). It also serves as the contact point for Myanmar with the World Trade Organization’s agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT).
